The Mexico City legislative assembly voted on Thursday to legalize civil unions for same-sex partnerships, giving lesbians and gays, along with individuals in platonic, same-sex relationships, the ability to make medical decisions for each other as well as list their partners as beneficiaries of pensions and inheritances. The civil union measure, which passed 47-17, will […]
Poland’s parliament introduced a constitutional amendment last week that would ban all abortions in the country, but both the President and Prime Minister have expressed their disapproval of the ban. Right-wing, Catholic members of parliament, known as the League of Polish Families (LPF), introduced the law, which is similar to Nicaragua’s recent abortion ban, that […]
The Nicaraguan legislature voted yesterday to outlaw all abortions, making it the third country in the Western Hemisphere to outlaw abortion without exception. The legislation was approved 52-0, with nine abstentions and 29 legislators not voting. The legislation must still be signed by Nicaraguan president Enrique Bolanos, who is strongly against abortion rights and favors […]
Earlier this month the Roman Catholic Diocese of Davenport, Iowa filed for bankruptcy after paying out millions of dollars to settle dozens of sex abuse claims, making it the fourth diocese in the country to seek financial protection. Twenty-five outstanding claims of priest sexual abuse will now be settled by a judge in a bankruptcy […]
The New York State Court of Appeals ruled unanimously on Thursday to uphold a 2002 state law requiring all employers, including Catholic and other religious employers, to cover reproductive health services, including offering contraceptives as part of prescription drug coverage. “This is a great day for the women of New York state,” said JoAnn M. […]
According to his lawyers, former Representative Mark Foley (R-FL) has reported the name of the Catholic priest who allegedly abused him as a teenager to prosecutors. The priest, Anthony Mercieca, has disclosed details of his involvement with Foley to the Florida newspaper Sarasota Herald Tribune, admitting to the intimate and sexually inappropriate nature of their […]
A proposed law in Nicaragua banning all abortions, even when a woman or girl’s life is at risk, is currently under review by the country’s judicial commission and may be voted on soon. Current law in Nicaragua permits “therapeutic abortions” for situations in which a woman or girl’s life is endangered by a pregnancy, but […]
The Internal Revenue Service has revoked Operation Rescue West’s tax-exempt status after Catholics for a Free Choice submitted a complaint to the IRS, accusing the anti-abortion group of violating electoral regulations for nonprofits. While the IRS has not yet released any information regarding the reasons for which it revoked Operation Rescue West’s (ORW) status, the […]
The New York Court of Appeals heard a challenge to the Women’s Health and Wellness Act of 2003 (WHWA), New York’s law requiring prescription equity for women, on Wednesday. WHWA only provides exception to prescription coverage equity for religious organizations that serve their religious communities; charities run by religious organizations that serve the secular community […]
The Chilean government recently decided that contraception will be publicly available for all women over the age of 14. According to IPS, all public health centers must dispense birth control, including emergency contraception (EC), free of charge. The decree also ensures that younger women can without authorization from their parents obtain a prescription for birth […]
In a blow to the anti-choice movement, Michigan Citizens for Life failed to collect enough signatures to get an anti-abortion measure on Michigan’s ballot this November. The group needed to turn in at least 317,757 signatures yesterday in order for Michigan citizens to vote on whether the state constitution should change to legally define the […]
Patricia Mercado, a feminist candidate in this year’s Mexican presidential election and a founding member of the Social-Democratic Alternative and Farmer party, has made news with her firm pro-feminist and pro-LGBT rights platform. Mercado’s presence in this year’s election is of particular significance, in light of the ongoing violence against women in Juarez, Mexico. Unlike […]
J Christopher Carey, MD, former director of an OB-GYN residency program, has filed suit against his Phoenix, Arizona hospital, claiming he was fired because of his public support of providing abortion training to OB-GYN residents. The Center for Reproductive Rights (CRR), along with other lawyers, will represent Dr. Carey in a suit that claims the […]
The Catholic Church, which has opposed the use of condoms for contraceptive or safe-sex purposes, is now considering endorsing their use by married couples in which one partner has HIV/AIDS. Pope Benedict XVI, who was a strict enforcer of church doctrine under Pope John-Paul II, has requested a report on the issue, surprising many Catholics […]
Some 128 sex abuse charges filed against the Portland Archdiocese are heading to court after church officials and alleged victims failed to reach a settlement agreement by the April 17 deadline. Forty of the cases will be heard in state court, and the remaining 88 will be heard in federal court, according to the Associated […]
The Supreme Court on Monday refused to hear an appeal by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles, meaning that the personnel files of two priests accused of child molestation must be turned over to prosecutors. Although this case affects only the files of Michael Baker and George Miller, it is expected to lead to […]
A Polish woman who suffered severe health consequences after being denied an abortion is taking her case before the European Court of Human Rights. Alicja Tysiac sought an abortion after three ophthalmologists predicted that carrying her child to term would likely further damage her failing eyesight. But the same three specialists, as well as a […]
Between 60,000 and 150,000 Italian women marched in Milan on Saturday, demanding that the Italian government maintain its liberal abortion laws. The women accused the government of working with the Vatican in an attempt to reverse a 1978 law that makes abortion legal in Italy during the first trimester, according to the International Herald Tribune. […]
A New York court of appeals yesterday upheld a state law that required insurance companies to cover contraceptives as part of their drug benefits. The case, Catholic Charities v. Serio, involved the three-year-old Women’s Health and Wellness Act, which required contraceptive coverage along with other women’s preventive health care needs. Ten religiously affiliated organizations challenged […]
ANOTHER “UNQUALIFIED CRONY” APPOINTMENT BYPASSES CONGRESS INTERNATIONAL POPULATION AND REFUGEE PROGRAMS JEOPARDIZED New York and Washington, DC, January 5, 2006 – Exercising his prerogative to act without Senate confirmation when Congress is not in session, President Bush has appointed Ellen Sauerbrey to be Assistant Secretary of State for Refugees, Population, and Migration to serve until […]
